


Blueberry Knees

by PipTheMagnificent



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: A smidgen of angst later, Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Endgame Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, F/M, Fluff, Gen, One-Sided Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:15:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27354079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PipTheMagnificent/pseuds/PipTheMagnificent
Summary: 2+2=4. Red and yellow make orange. Marinette and Luka are best friends.Some things are just constants.But as they grow up, Luka and Marinette will be forced to confront problems bigger than who gets to be Player 1 in Ultimate Mecha Strike, including, maybe, their own feelings.
Relationships: Juleka Couffaine & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng & Luka Couffaine
Comments: 10
Kudos: 35





	Blueberry Knees

**Author's Note:**

> Title taken from Simple Season with Hippo Campus, which is a perfect song for this story. If you feel like it, give the lyrics a read and the song a listen, because it really fits the vibe of the fic well. I also just love the band :P

The warm breeze ruffled the hem of the huge maternity dress Sabine Cheng was wearing. 

“I look like a penguin,” she moaned to her husband, who just smiled patiently at her. “A giant penguin who got stuck in a circus tent.”

“Only a few more weeks,” he reminded her, placing his arm around her as they walked, “and then we get our baby.” 

She grumbled. “A few weeks is too many. I want her out now.” 

“Here, I’ll make those raspberry bars you’ve been craving when we go home. And then a foot massage.” 

Sabine inclined her head regally. “Acceptable.” 

They both laughed. A second later, a man dashed right in front of them, pushing Sabine out of the way as he fled. 

“Hey!” Tom grabbed her, and started to go after the man. His normally peaceful demeanor had disappeared as soon as Sabine was almost knocked over. “Idiot!” 

Sabine grabbed his arm. “It’s okay. I think someone else has the yelling covered.” She pointed over at a bench in the direction the man had been running from. 

A dark haired woman was standing there next to a stroller, gesturing wildly and screaming insults after the long gone man. She had tears running down her face, but she didn’t seem to notice. 

“Fuck you! Shit for brains! I don’t need you!” 

Sabine glanced sideways at Tom. He sighed, knowing all too well where this was going. 

“Fine. Let’s go.” 

They headed over to the bench. 

“Excuse me,” Sabine said politely, feeling almost bad to interrupt the stream of foul language. “Are you alright?” 

The woman stopped, looking as if she had just noticed they were there. “Fucking hell, no. Stupid piece of shit just ran off. But- it’s my problem. Thank you.” 

“I understand if you don’t want to, but I don’t mind listening if you want to talk.” 

She shook her head. “I’m okay.” 

“Really, I-“ Tom placed a large hand on Sabine’s shoulder, giving her a warning look. She was prying again. She sighed. “I would love to talk sometime if you want. Just- here.” She pulled out a slip of paper from her bag and wrote down her number. “Here’s my number. I’m Sabine, if you change your mind.” 

Handing the number to the woman, she turned and started to walk away. However, she and Tom had only made it a few meters before the woman called out to them in her heavy Scottish accent. 

“I’m Anarka. If you’re sure-“ she hesitated, as if she wasn’t quite sure what she was doing was the right move. “I could use someone to talk to.” 

Sabine smiled and turned around. She sat down next to where the woman had collapsed onto the bench. 

“Who was he?” 

Anarka sniffed angrily. “The guy who I thought was a good boyfriend until exactly five minutes ago.” Sabine handed her a tissue, and she took it, smearing her heavy mascara even more. Done with clearing her face, she let her hands fall back down to her lap, twisting the tissue and starting to tear it apart. “I told him I was pregnant. He didn’t take it so well.” 

“But-“ Sabine gestured at the sleeping toddler in the stroller. “What about-“ 

“Luka?” Anarka let out a huffy laugh. “Luka’s not his. Yeah, I just have the shittiest luck to have this happen twice. I thought Geoffrey would be happy. He was the only guy who was okay with Luka in the first place, and he was really good with him. But of course, he just has to run as soon as I tell him I’m pregnant. Jesus.” Her head dropped. “And I’m in between jobs.” She looked up at Sabine. “It’s just hard, you know? I can’t leave Luka alone, and I can’t afford daycare right now.” 

She jerked upright. “Ach, well, it’ll be fine. I should go. Thank you for listening, have a nice day.” 

“Wait!” Sabine grabbed her hand. “I think I can help.” 

Anarka snatched it back. “No. I don’t need your charity. Thank you,” she added as an afterthought to soften her harshness. She turned away, bending over the stroller, buckling Luka in. 

Sabine looked at Tom pleadingly. He stepped forward from his position near the bench. 

“Anarka, it’s not charity. We need help as well. You’d need to interview, obviously, and we would have a trial period, but I’m sure you’ve seen that Sabine is pregnant. We run a bakery, and until it’s been just the two of us, but Sabine won’t be able to do the work she does now when our daughter is born. We’ve been thinking of hiring a part-timer to help in the bakery.”

“Yes! And also, while you work, I can babysit Luka with Marinette. It works for both of us.” 

Anarka straightened up. Her eyes glistened suspiciously. “Why are you offering? I don’t take charity, and I don’t need your pity.” 

“It’s not pity. This arrangement- if you agree and the trial period goes well- will be perfect for both of us. We were planning to hold interviews, but that’s a lot of time and effort, and we’re already busy planning for the baby. This takes the pressure off.” 

Anarka nodded thoughtfully, the suspicious expression wiped off her face. “I suppose trying it out can’t hurt. Thank you.”

Sabine smiled, and leaned forward to hug her. Anarka stiffened, but awkwardly raised her arms to hug her back. 

“Call me when you get a chance,” Sabine said, pushing the slip of paper with the number written on it back into Anarka’s hand. 

“I will.” Anarka looked a bit shell shocked by the sudden turn of events, and she watched as Tom and Sabine headed off, waving to her cheerfully. 

Real kindness was something she hadn’t experienced in a long time. 

…

A few weeks after that first coincidental meeting, Marinette Dupain-Cheng entered the world kicking and screaming. 

And a few months after that, Juleka Couffaine entered quiet as death. 

…

Ankara couldn’t tear her eyes from the incubator, glowing a soft purple. She had never had any special feelings for the color purple, but right then, she decided she would love it forever if it kept her baby alive. 

“Hey.” A soft hand tapped her shoulder. 

“Sabine.” 

“You look horrible.” 

“Yeah.” She hadn’t been able to drag herself away long enough to properly freshen up.

“Here. Tom baked these specially for you. Luka helped.” Sabine handed her a small bag that smelled faintly of garlic. 

“Palmiers?” Sabine nodded. “I’ll eat them later.” 

Sabine waved a finger. “Uh-uh! You’ve been through quite the ordeal, and it’s not going to help Juleka any if her mom dies of starvation. Or Luka. In fact, he wants to see you, so we’re going to video call him while you eat this.” 

Anarka gestured helplessly around her. “We can't eat in here.” 

Sabine smiled gently. “Which is why we’re going outside. They have a lovely garden in the center of the hospital, and there’s a bench there.”

“I can’t leave her.” 

“Anarka. You need to. You haven’t left her side since she was born. She’ll be okay, but if you keep going like this, you won’t be. Please.” 

Anarka looked reluctantly at the tiny baby, sitting so still in the incubator, but she allowed Sabine to pull her out of the room. 

…

“Mama!” Luka rushed out from behind the counter, Sabine bustling in from the back room. 

“Luka!” Anarka beamed at her baby boy. “Are you ready to see Juleka? She’s a lot bigger than the last time you saw her.” She placed the baby carrier down on the counter of the bakery. 

Tom, who was coming in from the car loaded down with Anarka’s hospital bags, winked at Luka. “Almost as big as me.” 

Luka’s eyes flew wide open. “Really?” 

Anarka laughed. “No, not yet. But look at how pretty she is!” She hoisted Luka onto her hip to look at his baby sister in the carrier. 

His nose wrinkled. “She’s small.” He thought for a second. “I guess I gotta take care of her.” Sabine cooed from where she stood holding a wriggly Marinette. 

“I guess you do,” Anarka said, smiling. 

“Oh!” He patted her arms, his symbol for down. “I forgetted!” 

“Yeah?” 

“Show me your scar!” 

“What?” 

“The scar,” he said, explaining as if it were obvious. “So I can kiss it better.” 

Sabine aww-ed again, and Anarka felt like melting into a pile of goo. 

“Thank you baby, you’re the best medicine. You can kiss it later, when I’m not dirty from the hospital. For now, why don’t we celebrate Juleka coming home?” She looked up at the Dupain-Chengs. “I heard something about cake?”

**Author's Note:**

> well, that was chapter 1. I don't really know where I'm going with this. The outline I have is VERY sporadically spaced out, and I tend to have random bursts of inspiration, so I don't know when new chapters will be out. I have chapters 2-4 written so far, so I should be good for a bit. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! I'm on tumblr at pipthemagnificentwrites if you wanna come chat! DMs are always open, and I have anon asks on as well if you're more comfortable that way.


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